CASED UP IN A DILEMMA

Guess who finally upgraded to iPhone 5? This kid did! A little behind the times, I know. But who doesn't get excited over new tech trends? - don't even get me started on my excitement levels over the new iOS 7 software due this September -

But, I suppose one of the down sides to always upgrading to the newest most exciting tech trend is leaving your cute tech accessories behind. I had just got my black and white initial Minnie & Emma case a couple months ago but could not resist the temptation of the upgrade from 4 to 5.  So now, I'm faced with the extreme challenge of finding a new case. The options: gold and white mmmmmmm - my favorite color duo at the moment. So $55 out the window on the 4 and now $30 expected to retreat out of my spending account....yayyyy technology...

1. Gold Stripes iPhone 5 Case Slim - Rifle Paper Co. 2. Crinkled Gold Foil iPhone 5 Case - Marc by Marc Jacobs

CORNELL

CORNELL CORNELL CORNELL! Probably the most fun I've had on a shoot. This was my first time using a portable flash (quite the experience getting it set up.) Normally I don't like to tell people how to pose or really explore posed portraits. However, Cornell was so great and worked so well with my directions and gave me some great poses. She took her roll seriously but still had fun (I hope.) I can't wait to shoot with her again. The double shadow that was produced from the two flashes I set up came out really nice in most of the pictures. Although, I really wish I had played around with the point of view more. Over all, this shoot was a great learning experience and such a great time.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

Danni

Similar to the Juliann shoot, I got these pictures within the last quarter of the hour shoot. I haven't worked with indoor lighting in a while so it was definitely an experience trying get the reflectors and tripod to fit in the same room. Danni is so sweet and dear to me I wanted to really capture a more raw image of her, again similar to Juliann. My style really is find what you're looking for through what is already there.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

Juliann

When I'm taking pictures, it's not my style to tell people how to pose. I enjoy watching how the subject interacts with the camera and I try to pull something out of them that I'm searching for. Usually this technique makes people nervous in front of the camera. They expect direction and a roll to be given to them. However, I like to catch whats really there in front of me. Usually I can find what I'm looking for within the last 15 minutes of an hour shoot and that's where the bottom three pictures came from. The blue contrast/black and white setting is my favorite and really worked well with these shots. Juliann means so much to me and has gotten my through so much, I really enjoyed getting such beautiful pictures from her.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

another EMILY

So this semester I'm finally taking a portrait photography class. The first class in the studio was really exciting because we got to work with light meters and different lights and flashes. It was like the excitement of photo one all over again: learning the basics that I've always wanted to know to advance more as a photographer. So I'm not a total fan of the composition and the lighting in the third one especially but they were my first shots in the studio on black background so I thought I would post them as a tribute. 

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

Portrait Picks

I'm currently taking a portrait photography class at school and was asked to pick my top 10 favorite portraits that I've taken. I was really focused on portraits while I was abroad so naturally my top 10 are from my adventures abroad. 

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

PERUGIA

This weekend our little trio, Caitlin, Lauren and I, visited Perugia for it's annual chocolate festival! We hit up quite a bit of chocolate in Brussels last weekend, but clearly the chocolate didn't make it through the week...or 2 days for some of us...

So we pressed through the freezing wind chill and stalked up on all sorts of chocolate for family and friends back home. I bought a scarf and gloves while we were at it but lost one of the gloves while we were running for our train...that we missed. So typical, I had only had the pair for 30 minutes before I lost one.

But the two pictures above were sadly my best shots. The overcast lightening was nice as always, but my hands were too frozen to take pictures, so this is all you get. 

I just really liked the focus and contrast in both pictures, it made the B&W come out nicely.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

FIRENZE

In my attempt to start taking more street pictures, I went out around my neighborhood snapping shots (AKA secretly taking pictures of people and running away.) I only had the guts to ask one girl if I could take her picture. The others I was too nervous of the outcome.
The first picture of the girl sketching is my favorite. I didn't have to edit this one at all. The lighting was so beautiful in that street, the shot came out really great.
The second one came out nice too with the sun peeking through the bottom left corner. The I LOVE NY sticker was a nice touch as well, and for some reason really popular here.
The lighting in the third picture didn't come out as great as I would've liked but the moment in the picture was still nice.
OK, the second to last picture of the girl was my first official street fashion photograph. She was the only one I asked if I could take her picture and she was so great about it.
Trash pictures are always easy but the contrast was too good to pass up.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

BOBOLI GARDENS

These pictures were taken at the Boboli Gardens in Florence, just behind the Pitti Palace. The gardens have a much better view than Piazzale Michelangelo just because of the setting. You get a view of the entire city with beautiful trees and grass behind you. My friends and I took advantage of the sweet spot and enjoyed some cheap wine on a blanket.
While I really liked how the first two pictures came out in B&W, I wish the sky wasn't so over exposed. But in the third picture, the sky and grass came out really nicely in color.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

BRUSSELS

I'm officially obsessed with Brussels! Maybe I've spent too much time in old fashion Florence, but Brussesls was such an incredible breath of fresh air. It was so much more metropolitan but with the most beautiful architecture. Just the apartment buildings had so many crazy layers, railings, details, boarders, and everyone was so incredibly nice. Any city that is known for chocolate, waffles, and fries is my kind of city but I'm officially in love after visiting.
Overcast weather has proven to be my lucky natural lighting. In the first picture, the sunset lit up the sky with this really gorgeous orange glow that hit the staircase like a spotlight.
The exposure came out really well in the second picture. I ended up using infrared B&W and up-ing the contrast a little. I'm probably the most happy with the quality of this picture.
The third picture is my attempt of experimenting with street shots. I get nervous taking random people's pictures right in front of them, but I'm working on it!
The last one I just really liked how the lines and lighting came out in the streets.

::photos taken by BrutaLBudget::

ROMA!

So it's taken me a little longer then I thought it would to get into the groove of taking pictures abroad but Rome finally gave me the push I needed. I'm going to try to start taking more street shots, but we'll see how that goes (you know how unreliable I am.)
The first picture is just alright to me, I really liked all the different shapes and textures mainly.
One of our program directors has this huge tattoo on her back that really made the middle picture incredible in B&W.
But my favorite is the last one of my friend Elizabeth. We visited the Spanish Steps at the perfect time. The lighting was so beautiful at the top of the steps it made experimenting with the lighting really fun and exciting. Not to mention, I had a great muse.
More pictures to come hopefully!

::pictures taken by BrutaLBudget::

FIRENZE

So, once again, I made you promises I didn't keep. Well, I'm hoping that studying abroad in Florence, Italy might help me stay focused with you...who ever you are. I'll be flying to Rome and then Florence on August 28th and then back to LAX on December 17th. I'm really excited to be going to a place with amazing history, art, and culture. Lucky for you, this hot mess will be posting all my favorite pictures I take while abroad. Hopefully I'll get some good ones for you. But until then, enjoy a classy pic of yours truly from my 21st birthdizzle.



Create a playlist at MixPod.com

::photo captured by BrutaLBudget::